Leclerc backs Verstappen's comments and criticises F1 racing rules

Leclerc finished in sixth whilst teammate Hamilton finished in fourth. A positive result due to the fact that both Ferrari drivers started outside the top 10. Leclerc, however, was unlucky after the first VSC due to Esteban Ocon's stoppage. Things got worse after the full safety car came out due to Kimi Antonelli's breakdown.

"Very disappointed," Leclerc began to GPblog and others in the paddock. "Everything was going towards us in the first stint. Then there was a safety car which cost us many positions. Then there was a second safety car which cost us quite a few other positions. We started to overheat and we couldn't change the tyres because we didn't have anything available. It was a big shame," he stated.

The Monegasque finished in sixth place after starting the race from 11th after a tough qualifying session on Saturday. Still, Leclerc was disappointed, as he knew more was available on Sunday. As an example, he cited his incident with Alex Albon in the closing stages. Leclerc defended against the Thai driver as he attempted to go around the outside of the Ferrari at turn one, a move that had been previously made in the race. Albon ran out of room and went over the gravel. A few laps later, Leclerc gave the position to the Williams driver and was not best pleased on the team radio.

Imola winner Max Verstappen has previously stated that the current racing rulebook can stop racing from being natural. When asked about the Dutchman's viewpoint, Leclerc agreed, stating that drivers are racing to the rulebook instead. "It's true," he stated. "I mean we all have the rules in our head and we always try to play with them which is what I was trying to do today. I mean sometimes, you speak about a centimetre and if it's enough to be within the rules or without the rules. Judging it at 250 (kilometres per hour) is a bit tricky."

Leclerc thinks that he drove firm but fairly and was disappointed to have given the position away. "I thought I was just in. Obviously from the outside, it doesn't look so nice because there's gravel. But I'll look back at it. I'm always very honest with myself and if I think that I've made a mistake, I'll say it to Alex, but for now, I don't think I did."

Therefore, what can be done to improve the current situation concerning racing standards? The Ferrari driver isn't too sure, as in Formula 1, complaints will always arise from somewhere. "I don't think we will ever have a situation where everybody's happy. That's my honest view on it. I think there will always be someone unhappy about it. So, yeah, I think it's very, very difficult to please everyone. And I don't think we'll ever find that sweet spot."